Thorns and Roses
by Arabella Crowe
Summary: Duo picks up a niece for one of the nuns at the church. What happened to her? What is she hiding? R&R I stuff flames in eggrolls and eat them with rice.


Disclaimer- I don't own anything except for the love and adoration of Setsuna and Quatre and Sesshomaru.

Duo Maxwell was pissed. He had come to L.A. to pick up the younger cousin of a nun who had helped take care of him when he was a kid. Instead of picking the brat up like he was supposed to, he was chasing down some nut who had stolen his wallet, on his motorcycle without a helmet, a license, or legit reason for running three red lights and a stop sign. He was pissed.

"GIMME BACK MY DAMN WALLET, YOU BLASTED IDIOT!"

In response the driver in front of him leaned out the window and flicked him off.

"OH, THAT'S IT!"

Duo pulled up next to the car and in one fluid motion, kicked the guy in the head, rammed the steering wheel, and then pulled away. He watched as the car went crashing into a fire hydrant, which started spurting water all over the place. Duo hopped off his bike, and ran at the guy. He caught him, and pulled his wallet out of his pocket.

"I'll take this off your hands"

He punched the guy in the nose, and then hopped back on his bike scowling. Now he was dirty, and his motorcycle was wet, and he was in a horrible mood. He pulled back onto the main road, and gunned the engine.

His long hair lashed at his back in the wind, and his bangs flew in his eyes, but he was feeling a lot better now that he had his wallet back, and on his motorcycle headed for Los Angeles. He flexed his fingers over the bike handles, and bent low over the board. Duo loved his motorcycle. Polished chrome controls, high-grade leather seat, hydraulic clutch, optimized suspension, and a stainless steel exhaust pipe. Not to mention it had a digital clock, CD player, GPS, security tracking device, and bright green and yellow flames running up the sides. It had cost him, that's for sure, but this was his baby, and it had gotten him out of more than one close calls. There was also a second seat, which currently had a helmet strapped down to it. It was for the kid he was supposed to pick up. Duo rolled his eyes. Why had he even agreed to pick him up? It was such a long trip. He would take the kid on his motorcycle all the way to Colorado, where they would fly back to New York. It took almost four days in all, and that was by himself. Now he had to tote around some knuckle head kid with him. Then again, he _had_ promised Sister Nichole that he would do this for her. She had been the only nun to survive the attack that had killed Duo's 'family' of orphaned children, a priest, and several nuns. After the war with OZ, Duo had found her, and had moved in with her, as her adopted son. Several other boys also lived with her, in a large house not far from the church. Duo had picked up work as a police man, and an occasional bouncer. When she had asked him a week ago to pick up her young cousin, whose mother had just died, Duo had figured that he at least owed her that. He didn't even know the name of the kid he was supposed to pick up. All he knew was, his father had walked out on the family when he was little, and his mother just died in a car accident. Duo squeezed his handle bars. Tough life this kid had had so far it seemed. The last name was Coachford. He had about a dozen papers signifying who he was, where he was bringing her, and yadda, yadda, yadda.

He looked up at a huge sign. 'Welcome to LOS ANGELES!' He drove into a gas station, where he filled up his motorcycle, and asked for directions to the nearest police station. Driving for a little under 20 minuets, he came to a stop outside the police station, and walked in. There was a skinny little man behind the desk who probably hadn't seen any more action than toast popping out of the toaster in his whole life. Duo rolled his eyes. Who hired jokers like this anyways? The man behind the desk eyed him suspiciously.

"Can I help you?"

Duo groaned inwardly. If he was going to have to sit and listen to that whiny, nasal voice any longer than ten minuets, he was out of there.

"Yeah, my name is Duo Maxwell, and I'm supposed to pick up a cousin of a friend of mine."

"You are, are you?"

"Look, you guys are supposed to be expecting me. I called yesterday afternoon, and spoke to the chief."

"I'm going to need some identification."

Duo dumped the whole lot of papers on the clerk's desk. Amid the mass, the man sneered. "Do you have any way of verifying all of this?"

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" Duo flashed his N.Y.P.D badge, and his I.D. "Is that enough for you?"

"No need to get upset sir." The man continued in his whiny voice. He went in back and talked to someone for a moment before returning. "You can go into his office now."

Duo sighed, "Thank God!" He walked back into the office where the chief was waiting. The chief was a huge, burly guy with graying hair, and hands that looked like they could bend iron. He nodded at Duo.

"Come in." He extended his hand, and Duo took it, and shook it firmly.

"I'm glad that you made it here so quickly. You probably want to leave, so I'll go get her."

Duo froze. _HER?_ The kid he was picking up was a girl? Before he had time to ask, the chief returned, and was carrying a duffle bag and leading a girl behind him. She was much shorter than Duo, about 5 foot 2 inches, maybe. She had a curly mass of blonde hair that tumbled around her shoulders and face. She was wearing jeans with rips everywhere, with a black shirt, and black nail polish. She lingered at the door, but the chief took her by the hand, and pulled her forward. She looked up at Duo for a split second, and then looked back down at her feet. She had gorgeous light brown eyes that made Duo's heart thump slightly in his chest.

"Maxwell, this is Sarah-Marie Coachford. Sarah, this is Duo Maxwell. He's a friend of your aunt's and he's come to take you home."

The girl nodded, but kept her face pointed at the floor. Duo looked at the chief who just shrugged, and mouthed the words, 'She's your problem now, not mine,' before sitting back down at his desk. Duo picked up her stuff, and gently pushed her out the door.

"C'mon, let's get outta here."

She walked in front of him, out past the whiny clerk who gave them a look, before returning to his papers, and to the waiting motorcycle. Duo saw her eyes widen at the motorcycle, and he grinned.

"She's pretty, ain't she? Ever ridden one before, kid?"

She nodded, but didn't say anything as Duo put her stuff on the back, and helped her get on. She strapped the helmet on, and waited while Duo checked the air in his tires.

"We have a long ways to go before we get back to New York where your aunt is." He looked up at her, but she didn't say anything.

"Have you been to New York before, or have you always lived in L.A.?"

She nodded her head, and remained silent. Duo was getting a little annoyed that she wasn't talking to him.

"Hey kid, you know how to talk, or what?" He put his hand out to brush some of the hair away from her eyes. She flinched, and squeezed her eyes, as if he was going to hit her. Duo was shocked.

"Hey, Sarah. What was that, just now? Did you think I was gonna hit you?"

She again just stayed silent.

"Damn. Sarah, I will never hit you. Ever. Understand?"

She nodded her head, and when Duo got on, wrapped her arms around his middle. Before he started his motorcycle, he heard her speak behind him.

"D-Duo?"

He twisted around to face her, "Yeah?"

She offered a small smile, "Thanks for picking me up, Duo."

Duo grinned and clucked her under the chin. "It was my pleasure, doll-face." He turned around, gunned the engine and sped away from the precinct.


End file.
